Wichita eagle., 1887-10-22

4 VISIONARY PRINCIPLE.


dian bureau that the Indian language must
not be employed in teaching the pupils IN
any of the schools maintained by the gov
eminent has given rise to no little comment
upon the assumption Of that official not
withstandiug the seemingly plausible reason
Set up for such action In the plea that II
would unable them the more readily to con
form their ideas and lives to our own.
Bishop Hare of Dakota has spent fifteen
years among the Indians and Is well known
as one Of the sblest advocates of clvilfzs-
ton. He may be supposed to know the
needs of the Indian and the most promising
methods for his improvement at least as
we'll as Indian Commissioner atkins or
Acting Commissioner Upshsw The bishop
considers it significant that most of the
clergy laboring among the Indians consider
1t essential to learn the language Of the
tribes among whom they propose to labor
1t Is an axiom among missionarie. the
world over that the gospel must be carried
to the heather In their native tongue. The
good bishop states the case very clearly as
follows:
This use Of the vernacular must be regard
ed as provisionsl-as a means, not an end
Indeed, everything must be looked upon
IS provisional which, II permanently main
tanned, would tend TO make Indian life
something separate from the common life
of our country. In other words. the In
dams must be denationalized, and made to
conform their habits with our own This,
however, is result which cannot be &C.
complished by force No one having the
slightest acquaintance with.the Indian char
acter and with the methods Of education
developed by pears OF experiment, would
dream of doing so. | now come to the
subject proper. There Is CREST need
that every encouragement should be
given to the ready use, In reading, writing
and speaking, OF the English tongue. The
order of Commissioner Atkins is, therefore,
In my opinion, step In the right direction.
But It gees too far. and Is In its present
shape tyIannical and officious. Tyrsnnical
because II Is wanton measure uncalled
for and uniustifiable by presidents; of1icious
DNtaOSC IL Is AOS W pIpFEuCt vi any
one TO dictate to me the methods | shall
employ In disseminating knowledge. The
order will prove, II enforced, great hin
drance to the enlightenment OF the Indians.
1t woald seem to be based on tie visionary
principle, IF Indians can not take al the
light, give them none"
The Topeks State Journal says that
petition Is being circulated in that city
praying Governor Oglesby Of Illinois to
interpose executive clemercy In behalf of
the condemned anarchists; tina. 1t is not
bowling success in point Of the number Of
slgners being received, and that there is
reason for some surprise that It should con-
tain some Of the names that appear upon
1t. After his experience with the high
cockadoodle Of thst ism In Topeka 1, would
hardly be supposed that the Journal man
could be surprised at anything In that con-
necion. However, there are, here and
there. individual cases of sympathy
throughout the country for the condemned
men that csEse establishment to the &C.
quaintances OF those entertaining t. For
for the pesce of society such cases
are not numerous.
Idaho keeps up the procession of p-o
gress. The governor In his annual report
estimates the population 81 100000; the
horses, cattle. sheep and hogs ST over 900,
COO, snd the taxable property st Yearly